Derek came into my life about 6 years ago, as part of the creative team at Holt Renfrew. He instantly struck me as an exuberant soul with amazing energy. Through the years, I saw his relationship with his own identity and sexuality transform. He became more comfortable dressing as he wanted and identified more closely with his feminine side. As a heterosexual female, my sexuality has never caused me any stress. I leave my house in the morning and society simply accepts who I am. Members of our LGTBQ community often experience unjust judgement which can result in debilitating self-image issues that can lead to depression and anxiety. In a 2011 interview with Pride Source, Beyoncé acknowledged the difficulty of coming out and said that she was in awe of her LGBTQ fans. “The amount of confidence and fearlessness it takes to do what maybe is not what your parents expect you to do or what society may think is different -- to be brave and be different and to be yourself -- is just so beautiful,” she said. “Not worrying about satisfying or becoming what other people think you’re supposed to be, that’s like the ultimate dream.”